Our Story
Having worked for most of his early life on his hometown kibbutz of Kfar Blum, and thereafter working as an Agronomist for several multinational drip irrigation companies, farming was always in Gaby Levanon’s blood. Erica “Korky” Allderman, a South African daughter of a vet in Somerset West, had similar connections to the world of farming. After meeting each other in Kfar Blum, when Korky was volunteering there, the two hit it off, got married, had two sons and moved to various countries around the world, working on all different kinds of farms. After their sons, Nevau and Gilad had left home in order to study, Gaby and Korky decided to take the plunge and retire by buying a farm of their own – enter Piket-bo-berg. The small community above the mountains overlooking Piketberg, the valley towards Porterville and the Olifants River Mountains behind it, instantly took their hearts, and they chose a small 6.25 hectare farm by the name of Sterkwater.
The plot had an unfinished wooden house; a borehole pump; a 25+ year old neglected peach and almond orchard, comprised of Yellow Cling peach trees of three varieties (Keisie, Western Cling and Catherina), and Nonpariel almonds; and not much else. Some, probably most, would shudder at the thought of what it might take to turn the farm into something productive, but not these two. Was it madness? Was it a sense of fearlessness in the face of possible adventure? Who knows. But they did it – they sold their house in Pretoria where they had spent the last few years, said goodbye to their jobs and friends, packed up, and moved down.
Soon after, their sons joined them and together they undertook to revive the orchards, add three tunnels, two open-fields, a veggie patch, herb garden and loads more. Throughout the process, it became clearer and clearer that converting the farm to be organic was not just the right idea – but in fact, the only option for hope of selling produce in a financially sustainable way. There was simply no chance that the tiny farm would be able to match the price of huge large-scale growers. Going organic meant that Sababa could supply several organic shops and dealers around the Western Cape, which in turn allowed the family to focus on farming, and not worry about marketing to the public.
Three years later, and the farm is going from strength to strength – proudly certified as Organic by the Western Cape PGS since 2017. In 2019, the peach orchard saw its biggest harvest since the family moved in; the tunnels constantly producing a steady supply of various vegetables including tomatoes of many kinds, cucumbers, baby marrows, beans, brinjals, and sweet peppers among others; and the open fields succesfully growing a stream of seasonal produce including garlic, chillies, watermelons, butternut, gooseberries, baby brinjals, sweetcorn, mange tout peas, and more. The farm also now includes a newly built net-house, a mobile chicken coop with a few chickens, 5 functioning bee hives, and a gravity-fed water reservoir system.
Nevau, along with his wife Bushrah, currently live on the farm with Gaby and Korky. With assistance from Brendon and Carlo, two local farming wizards, the Sababa farmers are constantly on a quest to grow the greatest produce, in the best way possible.
